Latest news with #UniversityofChicagoBoothSchoolofBusiness
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Stop Complaining About Gen Z Workers—and Start Helping Them
Because of the pandemic, some Gen Z workers missed out on formative experiences that help shape careers. Susan Lucia Annunzio is a leadership coach, author and president and CEO of the Center for High Performance. She also is an associate adjunct professor of management at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. In many ways, Gen Z is unlike previous generations entering the workforce. The obvious reason is the pandemic, which isolated many in the Gen Z generation from both their peers and adults outside of their immediate families. Some of them missed out on formative experiences that can help shape careers, such as in-person classes and conversations, as well as internships, studying abroad and working in offices alongside seasoned veterans. At the same time, Gen Z has faced an unprecedented level of rejection, ironically as a result of technology intended to make processes easier. They can—and do—apply to dozens of colleges and hundreds of jobs with the click of a mouse. But faced with constant rejection, many young adults are more anxious, less motivated and more afraid to take chances than previous generations. It isn't unusual to hear some bosses stereotype Gen Z hires as being difficult to manage, complaining they lack initiative, communication skills and preparedness. In most cases, however, it would be a mistake to fire these young employees. A better response is to approach your Gen Z workers with empathy and provide opportunities for social interaction and development. The companies that do this will attract and retain the best young talent, while those that don't may continue to face turnover and disengagement. Here are five suggestions on how to motivate your Gen Z employees: Approach with empathy Don't accept the negative stereotypes that are sometimes used to describe Gen Z employees. Instead, work to understand what might be prompting behaviors that look strange or different than what you might expect of a new hire. For example, rather than assuming young workers are antisocial or unfriendly, consider why they might find it difficult to interact with others and help them figure out what would make it easier. If they seem overly sensitive, explore why this might be, rather than judging them. Unlock their technology skills During the pandemic, many young people used their alone time to enhance their technology skills. Some dabbled in coding or video production (think TikTok), while others experimented with AI, built apps or found new ways to create and connect in a digital-first world. These talents don't necessarily show up on résumés, so ask your young workers what technology skills they might have gained during lockdowns and how they applied them. Are those skills being used in their current role—or is there a better fit within the organization? Create space for conversation Gen Z has been raised in a world of asynchronous communication—texts, DMs, emails, as well as Zoom meetings where they can turn off their video and audio, and participation is often optional. Forget about telling these employees you have an open-door policy; they won't walk through it. Instead, leaders may need to create intentional, low-pressure spaces for could mean taking young employees out for coffee, or setting up one-on-one video calls. This isn't a formal check-in or performance review—it's a conversation where your job is to listen. Ask your young workers about their ambitions, professional and personal frustrations and the influences shaping their worldview. When this generation feels heard, they will engage and grow. Encourage socialization Think back to your first job. How did you make friends? Office banter, postwork drinks and team lunches were the foundation of your professional network. Now, imagine starting your career without them. That's the reality for many in Gen Z. Your role as a leader isn't just to manage their work—it's to introduce them to workplace culture. Do you provide opportunities for socialization? Maybe it's Cornhole Fridays, a bowling league or a team lunch. Better yet, ask them what they want. Identify your most outgoing employees and form a culture committee. Make socialization part of onboarding, not an afterthought. Create a formal development plan Formal development plans are more critical for Gen Z than they were for prior generations, when informal mentoring was more common. Such plans might include internal or external classes or workshops, a mentorship program, peer-support groups and opportunities to shadow employees or other role models. Efforts to improve Gen Z's verbal-communication skills, such as a public-speaking class or a workshop on difficult conversations, can be very helpful. Your job as a boss isn't to make these workers more like you—it's to make them the best version of themselves and maximize their value to your company. The choice is yours: Complain about Gen Z or coach them to become stars. Write to Susan Lucia Annunzio at reports@
Mint
4 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Stop complaining about Gen Z workers—and start helping them
Because of the pandemic, some Gen Z workers missed out on formative experiences that help shape careers. Susan Lucia Annunzio is a leadership coach, author and president and CEO of the Center for High Performance. She also is an associate adjunct professor of management at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. In many ways, Gen Z is unlike previous generations entering the workforce. The obvious reason is the pandemic, which isolated many in the Gen Z generation from both their peers and adults outside of their immediate families. Some of them missed out on formative experiences that can help shape careers, such as in-person classes and conversations, as well as internships, studying abroad and working in offices alongside seasoned veterans. At the same time, Gen Z has faced an unprecedented level of rejection, ironically as a result of technology intended to make processes easier. They can—and do—apply to dozens of colleges and hundreds of jobs with the click of a mouse. But faced with constant rejection, many young adults are more anxious, less motivated and more afraid to take chances than previous generations. It isn't unusual to hear some bosses stereotype Gen Z hires as being difficult to manage, complaining they lack initiative, communication skills and preparedness. In most cases, however, it would be a mistake to fire these young employees. A better response is to approach your Gen Z workers with empathy and provide opportunities for social interaction and development. The companies that do this will attract and retain the best young talent, while those that don't may continue to face turnover and disengagement. Here are five suggestions on how to motivate your Gen Z employees: Don't accept the negative stereotypes that are sometimes used to describe Gen Z employees. Instead, work to understand what might be prompting behaviors that look strange or different than what you might expect of a new hire. For example, rather than assuming young workers are antisocial or unfriendly, consider why they might find it difficult to interact with others and help them figure out what would make it easier. If they seem overly sensitive, explore why this might be, rather than judging them. During the pandemic, many young people used their alone time to enhance their technology skills. Some dabbled in coding or video production (think TikTok), while others experimented with AI, built apps or found new ways to create and connect in a digital-first world. These talents don't necessarily show up on résumés, so ask your young workers what technology skills they might have gained during lockdowns and how they applied them. Are those skills being used in their current role—or is there a better fit within the organization? Gen Z has been raised in a world of asynchronous communication—texts, DMs, emails, as well as Zoom meetings where they can turn off their video and audio, and participation is often optional. Forget about telling these employees you have an open-door policy; they won't walk through it. Instead, leaders may need to create intentional, low-pressure spaces for could mean taking young employees out for coffee, or setting up one-on-one video calls. This isn't a formal check-in or performance review—it's a conversation where your job is to listen. Ask your young workers about their ambitions, professional and personal frustrations and the influences shaping their worldview. When this generation feels heard, they will engage and grow. Think back to your first job. How did you make friends? Office banter, postwork drinks and team lunches were the foundation of your professional network. Now, imagine starting your career without them. That's the reality for many in Gen Z. Your role as a leader isn't just to manage their work—it's to introduce them to workplace culture. Do you provide opportunities for socialization? Maybe it's Cornhole Fridays, a bowling league or a team lunch. Better yet, ask them what they want. Identify your most outgoing employees and form a culture committee. Make socialization part of onboarding, not an afterthought. Formal development plans are more critical for Gen Z than they were for prior generations, when informal mentoring was more common. Such plans might include internal or external classes or workshops, a mentorship program, peer-support groups and opportunities to shadow employees or other role models. Efforts to improve Gen Z's verbal-communication skills, such as a public-speaking class or a workshop on difficult conversations, can be very helpful. Your job as a boss isn't to make these workers more like you—it's to make them the best version of themselves and maximize their value to your company. The choice is yours: Complain about Gen Z or coach them to become stars. Write to Susan Lucia Annunzio at reports@
Business Insider
09-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
From Lagos State to the global strategy table: How Omotayo Adeoye is building resilient business systems across continents
Omotayo Adeoye's journey spans oceans, boardrooms, and sectors, but at its core is a fierce commitment to making business strategy work for people, systems, and the planet. Born and raised in Nigeria, and now shaping strategy at top consulting tables across North America, Europe, and Africa, Omotayo is part of a new generation of diaspora professionals transforming how we think about leadership, resilience, and long-term value. Her work sits at the intersection of finance, strategy, and systems thinking, helping organisations survive in complex environments and thrive by embracing change, clarity, and sustainability. 'We often treat resilience as a reaction. I've learned it's actually a design choice,' she says. Omotayo's path began in the classrooms of Ogun State, Nigeria, where her natural curiosity led her to study Industrial Chemistry at Bells University of Technology. She graduated at the top of her class, but more importantly, she discovered an early fascination with how systems, chemicals, business, and humans interact. 'I loved solving complex problems, and science taught me discipline. However, I also took a final-year course on SMEs that made me curious about how businesses grow or fail. That was a turning point.' After an initial stint in audit and financial services, where she helped review financial controls and improve transparency at major multinational clients, Omotayo transitioned into investment banking. There, she structured high-stakes deals in the energy sector, helping leadership teams align capital with long-term opportunity. But the bigger questions beckoned: How could finance shape sustainability? What would it take to build businesses that are not only profitable but also enduring? These questions ultimately led her to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she earned her MBA, specialising in economics, strategy, behavioural science, and international business. 'Booth sharpened how I think. It taught me to look at a problem from ten different angles before deciding on the one that matters most.' Today, Omotayo is a sought-after management consultant, working with global leadership teams to develop and execute high-impact strategies. From advising a global wealth fund on decarbonization investment targets to helping African institutions navigate macroeconomic uncertainty, she has led engagements that span strategy design, capability building, and long-term value creation. 'Consulting forces you to bring your A-game, quickly. You're often advising senior leaders who have deep experience. What earns their trust isn't jargon; it's clarity, relevance, and the courage to challenge respectfully.' Omotayo's signature strength lies in helping clients move from insight to action. She doesn't just develop roadmaps; she builds decision frameworks that align leadership, empower teams, and embed execution discipline. Her consulting career has taken her across diverse industries, including finance, energy, development, and retail, and into boardrooms on two continents. Along the way, she has seen firsthand how emerging economies, especially in Africa, can leapfrog if the right talent, tools, and thinking are deployed at scale. Transitioning from Lagos to Chicago and to high-level advisory roles in the U.S. and globally hasn't always been seamless. 'Being a Black African woman in consulting comes with its layers,' she reflects. 'You're often the only one in the room with your perspective. I've learned not to shrink myself. I focus on sharpening my expertise and showing up fully prepared.' She also credits community: 'Mentorship, shared wisdom, and simply having people who remind you who you are, it makes all the difference.' Omotayo mentors young professionals across continents, helping them navigate careers in consulting, finance, and international development. 'Immigrants carry this beautiful tension between resilience and reinvention. We know how to adapt without losing who we are.' For Omotayo, living in the diaspora is not about distance from Africa, but depth of perspective. 'You see how systems work elsewhere, policy, accountability, capital flows, and you start to ask: How do we adapt these in a way that works for African realities?' Omotayo is passionate about embedding resilience into businesses' operations, especially in volatile markets. 'Too often, strategy is treated like a deck instead of a discipline,' she says. 'My job is to help leaders build systems that anticipate risk, centre sustainability, and actually work.' Her thought leadership on strategy and resilience has been published in BusinessDay and Vanguard and presented to leading global institutions. Her perspectives on what it takes to execute strategy in high-stakes, high-uncertainty environments draw from real-world practice. She's especially proud of projects that blend purpose and precision, like helping a client launch a sustainability-focused investment fund targeting sectors traditionally left behind in the green transition. 'That was a lightbulb moment, realising that capital allocation could shape which companies survive, evolve, or fade away. Strategy isn't abstract. It shapes lives.' When asked what excites her most about Africa's future, Omotayo doesn't hesitate to say: 'The people. The ideas. The energy. We must match those with systems, governance, capital, and talent pipelines that can hold and grow our dear continent.' She sees the African diaspora as a key catalyst in this equation. 'We must be more than remitters of money; we must be remitters of knowledge, frameworks, and global context. The diaspora has a powerful role in reimagining what African excellence looks like at scale.' Looking ahead, Omotayo is focused on expanding her impact through strategic advisory, cross-border collaboration, and mentorship. 'I want to help African organisations become globally competitive, not just in scale, but in resilience, ethics, and innovation.' To young professionals, especially African women in the diaspora, Omotayo offers this: 'Own your voice. Sharpen your skills. The world needs your perspective, especially in historically excluded spaces.' She also reminds them that there's no single path to impact. 'You can shape systems as a founder, a policymaker, a teacher, a strategist. What matters is intentionality.'
AU Financial Review
03-07-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
What I learnt in 3 months as an MBA student at a top US school
A large crowd clamours to take selfies with Joe Mansueto, the $US6.7 billion founder of financial information giant Morningstar. It's a cold April day, and I'm at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business's annual management conference. It's an event filled with former students, or 'Boothies', and hanging with rock star alumni appears to be standard in this network of elite MBA graduates. Mansueto (MBA class of 1980) specifically mentions in his keynote how his company likes recruiting from the university.
CBS News
15-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
University of Chicago Booth School of Business gets $100 million gift for MBA program
A private equity investor who got his start at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business has donated $100 million to the school. University of Chicago alumnus Konstantin Sokolov, founder of Chicago-based IJS Investments, made the $100 million gift to the Executive MBA Program at the university. The program will be renamed the Sokolov Executive MBA Program, and Booth will use the gift to establish a new clinical professorship for the program. "With Sokolov's remarkable commitment, the Sokolov Executive MBA Program will continue to educate future generations of leaders, giving students the insight and skills they need to move people and organizations to success," said Madhav Rajan, Booth dean and George Pratt Shultz Professor of Accounting. The 21-month MBA program at Booth provides students with personalized coaching, leadership workshops, insight circles, and career clinics. The program focuses on global economics - with campuses in Chicago, Hong Kong and London. "I am immensely proud to be able to support the incredible achievements made by Chicago Booth, an institution with a legacy of pioneering research and transformative education since its founding," Sokolov said in a statement.
